[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 10267]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING THE LIFE OF BILL R. LeMAY

                                  _____
                                 

                             HON. JIM COSTA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 17, 2014

  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the life of 
Bill R. LeMay, who passed away on June 8, 2014, at the age of 81. Bill 
was a proud resident of California's San Joaquin Valley, and his 
dedication to the community will never be forgotten.
  Bill was born in Oklahoma and moved to Corcoran, California, when he 
was 13 years old. He had six siblings: Betty, Dorothy, Pearl, Tommy, 
Johnny, and Susie. From a young age, Bill recognized the importance of 
hard work. Early on in his career, Bill hauled sheep and cattle by 
truck during a night shift. He completed twice the amount of work than 
what was expected, and before receiving his first paycheck, he earned 
three raises. His tenacity and dedication to always doing his best was 
something he carried with him throughout his entire life.
  In 1952, Bill joined the United States Army during the Korean War and 
completed basic training at Fort Ord. After serving two years in the 
military, Bill married the love of his life, Delores Josephine Pagel. 
Bill and Delores were married for 59 years.
  In 1955, Bill began a lifelong career at Salyers' America. At one 
point, Salyers was one of the largest farming operations in the United 
States. Bill was the Farm Superintendent and managed 85,000 acres of 
land, which included 18 crops ranging from wheat and barley to tomatoes 
and cotton. Bill worked at Salyers for 45 years, retiring in 2000.
  In addition to fighting in the Korean War, Bill fought two long 
battles close to home that were much more personal. The 1969 and 1983 
Tulare Lake Floods fueled a long-standing rivalry between Valley 
farmers and Mother Nature, and Bill was at the forefront. Valley 
agriculture always played a very significant role in Bill's life 
because he understood its impact on the strength of our Nation.
  More important than his appreciation for agriculture, Bill's family 
meant everything to him. Bill and Delores loved their three sons and 
their spouses: Harold and Kelly, Larry and Valerie, and Todd and 
Stephen. His pride and joy were his eight grandchildren and eight 
great-grandchildren. Bill will be greatly missed by his family and 
friends, but they will always have an outstanding role model who they 
will hold in their hearts forever.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with great respect that I ask my colleagues in the 
U.S. House of Representatives to pay tribute to the life of Bill R. 
LeMay. His service to our country and dedication to working hard will 
always be remembered.

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